Dark Energy; As Believable as Invisible Oceans?

NASA raised an interesting concept when it announced this week that it was intending to launch two large observatories into space and send off three smaller probes. One of the probes is going to explore 'dark energy,' and 'dark matter.'

According to scientists, dark energy makes up 70% of the Universe. It cannot be seen, measured, or x-rayed, but they are positive that this invisible force is all around us, and is expanding the Universe. This is not quite as daft a supposition as it sounds. It makes some sense if you liken our home galaxy to a typhoon.

When seen from the space station, typhoons, hurricanes, or whatever they are called in your part of the world, are spiral shaped. They spin around the 'eye' counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Photographs of other galaxies show them with spiral arms as if they are also spinning. (Maybe if the astronomers checked the counter clockwise and clockwise spins of the various galaxies they could find out whether our galaxy is in the north or the south of the Universe?)

We know that storms on Earth are caused by an invisible force. In between all the rain, branches, trees, cars and buildings that are being tossed around, there must be some kind of force. We call it 'wind.' Could it be that in between all the suns, planets, moons and meteors that are being tossed about and spun like tops, is an invisible force called 'dark energy?'

Another way of looking at it is to liken the spiral shape of the galaxy to the water in a sink just after you have removed the plug. On second thoughts, let's not go there, the thought that we are destined for a giant plughole in the sky makes me nauseous.

The NASA spokesperson tried to make the idea of 70% of the universe being invisible more believable by using the world's oceans as an analogy. The oceans make up roughly 70% of the planet's surface. 'Imagine if the world's oceans couldn't be seen but you knew that they were there,' he said.

This is a bizarre analogy at first glance. Can you picture water, one of life's necessities, being invisible? Imagine cruising over the 36,000 foot deep Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench and being able to look all the way down into it. Think of casting a fishing line out into nothingness to catch a fish you could see swimming through nothing? If you think it is too big a stretch of the imagination to think that water, one of the most abundant elements on earth could not be seen, try an experiment. Pour some water into a clear glass until it overflows, and then wait for a few minutes - can you see the water?

Still considering it? Now take a deep breath of one of the other necessities of life, and look around. Can you see the air that you breathe? Can you see the invisible force that is holding up that bird, or plane? Can you see the gentle breeze that caresses your cheeks?

The idea that 70% of the Universe can't be seen grows on you, doesn't it?

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